Can a menstruating woman delay তাওয়াফ al-Ifadah, and what are the implications?

A menstruating woman is required to delay তাওয়াফ al-Ifadah (also called তাওয়াফ al-Ziyarah) until her menstruation ends and she has performed গোসল. This is because purity is a condition for the validity of তাওয়াফ জমহুর উলামাদের মতে. There is no fixed deadline for performing তাওয়াফ al-Ifadah — it can be performed at any time after the standing at আরাফাত, even if delayed by days or weeks.

Sheikh Ibn Baz explained that when a woman menstruates before performing তাওয়াফ al-Ifadah, she completes all other rites of হজ্জ — stoning, sacrifice, cutting hair — and remains in a state of partial ইহরাম. In this state, everything becomes permissible for her except marital relations with her husband. This partial ইহরাম continues until she becomes pure, performs গোসল, and completes তাওয়াফ al-Ifadah. Once she performs the তাওয়াফ, full tahallul (exit from ইহরাম) is complete.

Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen stated that the woman should wait patiently in মক্কা মুকাররমা until she is pure, if possible. If her travel group must leave, she has several options: she may stay behind with a mahram and join the group later; she may travel home and return later to perform the তাওয়াফ; or, in cases of extreme hardship where returning is not possible, some scholars (following the position of Ibn Taymiyyah) permit her to perform তাওয়াফ with menstruation as a last resort, wearing protection. However, the stronger position is that she must wait.